Interview: Leah Martin Talks About Her Barb Morrison-Produced Single/Video "Inside"
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“Songwriting heals me and gets experiences good and bad out of my body and hopefully helps someone else move through something.”
Congratulations on the completion and release of your new single "Inside"; it's a great song. What initially inspired you to write it and who directed the music video?
Thank you! Initially I was looking for medicine and comfort for myself during this wild time in our world. I have had a daily meditation practice for 14 years and find deep peace in going IN to find the answers. As the world was shaking around us, I heard the simple melody of the chorus hook first and sang it to Barb, my producer.
They encouraged me to follow it, so I locked myself in at our family farm with my piano for a few days and took a deep dive to hear the rest. I felt pulled to share what gave me peace to others through a song and Barb’s production wizardry made it just right.
The music video vision and direction came through me and Ginger Soul Productions helped us pull it all together.
The song is produced by legendary songwriter/producer Barb Morrison; how did you connect with Barb and describe the experience of working with they?
Connecting with Barb is a magical story. Back in March when this whole world break pandemic started, I was in Puerto Rico with my family and ended staying there much longer than we thought. One morning I woke up to sit for meditation and clearly thought, I want to manifest a female music mentor.
I have been seen a lot in the music biz and have constantly been fighting for my truth in a sea of control (excluding Ahmed Mahmoudhe’s amazing and has always been a pleasure to work with). With others telling me what to do, how to be, what to wear, what to sing, what to post, basically who I AM.
I left and lived in India on ashram for a while to write and get away from all that, then came back to have it all happen again. So, I was ready for a female in the music business who cared about my songs, my truth and could help me get that out in the world instead of a machine manipulated version of a half truth of myself. That always felt like sandpaper to my spirit.
The morning in Puerto Rico that I put my intention out that I wanted to manifest a female music mentor, it came true, but even better. Right after that I was taking my morning Instagram hit and saw a post from Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) shouting out several of her friends who had taken this challenging time and run with it in all different industries. Barb Morrison was listed as a music mentor.
I immediately looked them up and was blown away by their work… hello- Blondie! I reached out to the manager and sent my work. They contacted me right away and we spoke on the phone and connected right away. It really felt like I was talking to someone who I’d known for a long time and we started working over Zoom when I got back to my computer. The big clincher in this was that I realized that yes, my manifestation came true- thank you- but I limited myself by saying female. Because Barb identifies as non-binary they are so evolved and have built resilience through the male dominated industry and still truly gets to the freaking point of the music business- the MUSIC!
My mind has been blown and my heart has been opened and deepened working with them. Debbie Harry says in a doc that she’s only wanted to kill them a few times, and I totally get that. They take you to the depths of your experiences, but in a safe and healthy way encouraging you to lean in to what comes up and rise up from it through a song. They didn’t tell me what to do at all, only encourage the truth to come out. Working with Barb allows my true creative process to be liberated and then they take it to the next level in production. It’s magic and this is just the beginning.
Can we expect to hear "Inside" as part of a future EP or album? If so, what can you tell us about the project?
Yes. So many songs are coming right now during this time. I’m just trying to catch as many as I can. We’re still ironing out the 21 for 2021 album, but we have a good problem right now with narrowing down the material to release next. It’s been a good time and artist/producer match for creation.
What are some things, people, and places that spark your creativity as a songwriter?
The first thing that came to my mind reading this was red clay Cherokee council grounds. It’s where they met before starting on the trail of tears. It’s not a happy place, but I feel connected to my ancestors there and hear songs and play my guitar and drum sitting by the river.
Fights, heartbreak, and injustice make me write to try to do something about it. My favorite tree at our family farm, horses and getting to my roots inspire me. I end up locking myself in for days and turning off my phone. Being alone encourages me to dive into all my feelings and process what I may have not fully cleared out. Songwriting heals me and gets experiences good and bad out of my body and hopefully helps someone else move through something. I intentionally give myself room and space to hear and try and catch that creative tiger by the tail (thanks Liz Gilbert). Duke Ellington and Tupac have both come to me in my dreams to give me a big kick of inspiration. As long as we remain open to inspiration coming through, it can come in any form. Nature speaks, we just have to be still long enough to hear it and brave enough to share it.
What do you enjoy most about being a singer-songwriter who has the opportunity to express yourself through song/video? Also, what is one thing you would change about the music industry if you could?
What I enjoy most about being a singer-songwriter and expression through song + video is creative FREEDOM and the opportunity to collaborate with the divine. I treasure the gift of making something from an experience or a dash of inspiration, or a dream….taking it out of the cosmos and translating it into a medium that will help me grow and hopefully help others who hear it too.
I believe everyone is an artist in some way. This just happens to be the medium that is the most clear to me and the one I have loved and practiced the most. I believe anyone can do anything if they love and practice enough.
One thing I would change about the music industry is to have equal opportunity on the business side. We need more female leaders- managers, lawyers, producers and engineers. Not just in music, but in our world. We deserve equal rights and opportunity to bring it all back into balance.
Stream and Share “Inside” on: Spotify | Apple Music